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Are you comparing black tea vs green tea and looking to know more about what makes these iconic styles unique?
In this article, we’ll be getting to know what defines these two tea styles and sharing what makes for the best green tea and black tea in the world.
Here’s a big question:
is black or green tea
better for you?
The question might seem simple, but it’s hiding a more important point.
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When it comes to health benefits and flavor, there’s far too much hype out there working to create anxiety about making the right choice. There’s not nearly enough consideration about where and how these teas are grown.
Let’s take a look at the big picture. Both green tea and black tea can be sweet, beautiful, healthy and aromatic, but only when craft, agriculture and sourcing are done right.
Differences Between Green Tea and Black Tea (and Similarities)
Where does green tea come from? What about black tea? Green tea and black tea do not come from different tea plants. Instead, green tea and black tea are defined by the way they are finished in the workshop.
Green tea finishing is all about locking in the flavor and aroma of fresh-picked tea leaves, while black tea is all about bringing out sweet, dark and malty qualities.
Despite the difference between black and green tea, both teas have a lot in common:
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• They are both made from the same plant: Camellia Sinensis var sinensis
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• Both green tea and black tea require heat finishing to lock in their unique flavors
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• No matter how a tea is finished, the tea plant itself thrives in biodiverse mountainous landscapes. That’s why both green tea and black tea taste best when grown without chemical intervention.
A tea’s quality is defined by the environment where it grows and the craft of the producer. While a region making green tea can also make black tea, in the real world, regions tend to specialize. Much of the flavor we associate with green tea vs black tea comes from the specific regions where these teas are most popular.
In China, for example, these regions are famous for producing certain types of tea:
Green Tea:
Black Tea:
Each of these regions gives unique flavor to their tea based on their weather, surrounding environments, local traditions and more.
For example, in Yunnan, tea can grow wild in ancient tea forests. This biodiversity contributes to a more complex black tea brew. In Shi Feng Dragonwell, the local sweet spring water and unique weather make for a particularly delicate green tea. In contrast, too much sun can lead to bitter tea, while weak tea can come from poor-draining soil or improper storage. Growing black tea and growing green tea both require biodiverse, cool, shaded environments to bring out the best in each style.
The difference between green tea and black tea is all about processing. You can taste the same tea leaves picked on the same day by the same family but try one green tea and one black tea. A good example of this is the He Family in Laoshan that produces Laoshan Green and Laoshan Black every year. So how is green tea made compared to black tea?
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• Green tea is heat-fixed after a short withering step to prevent oxidation
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• Black tea is allowed to oxidize fully in higher heat and moisture conditions before heat-fixing
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• Black tea is often fired after heat fixing for a more roasted quality while green tea is dried using much lower heat to preserve its delicate aroma.
